Taylor Shepard
by Type Five
Summary: Taylor triggers with the powers of a Vanguard Shepard, from the enhanced physiology, to the cybernetics, to the biotic superpowers, to the raw charisma that united the entire galaxy.


**AN: So, I got this idea by wondering: "What happens when you give one magnetic, unbreakable hero the skills and powers of another magnetic, unbreakable hero?" And so Taylor triggers as a Vanguard Shepard. Biotics, a Brute rating, and best of all: the raw charisma and will that made the entire galaxy line up behind them.**

Unbroken 1.1

* * *

-Taylor Hebert-

I stumbled across the hall, gasping and choking on sweet, fresh air. Untainted by the... the utter foulness in the locker. The locker.

The locker was behind me. Broken, ripped apart, from the inside out. By me. By my power. My power. My power! I had a power! I was a parahuman! I could feel it, coursing through my body. My veins, my nerves, my skin. And I could see it! A blue glow, like fire, wreathed my entire body. My hands, sparks and tiny bolt of blue lightning leap from fingertip to fingertip. It was amazing, wonderful, I felt incredible. I felt-

"Hebert? No... no fucking way." Sophia Hess. I looked towards the source of the voice. She was sitting on the ground, looking like she'd been knocked down. She looked shocked, angry, disgusted, all at the same time. Like something was fundamentally wrong about the current situation.

I was angry. So angry. I started towards her, hissing out a furious noise, something unintelligable. Motion caught my eye- Emma. My former best friend. I always admired her, how strong she was, how confident. Pretty too. Some people had it all. But now... she just looked confused, panicked, terrified. Some little part of me could read her like a book. She was afraid of being hurt again. Terrified that I'd lash out with my new power. That-

Again? Yeah. Yeah, the way she looked. Something quiet told me that she'd experienced this sort of fear before. The way she held herself, the way she tried to crawl away, eyes locked on me. Someone had hurt her before. Someone had hurt her before? The very idea hurt me. Deep down, it hurt me. Even after everything she'd said, everything The Trio had done, Emma had still been my friend for so long. She'd basically been my sister. And I hadn't even noticed someone had hurt her. That tiny part of my told me it wasn't my fault, how could I have known?

'Easy,' The rest of me responded. 'It's my job to know, as her best friend.'

With that in my head, I started towards her. I should have been there for her. Well, even after everything, I can there for her now, atleast.

"Oh no you don't!" People were running away as fast as they could, the gawkers who'd laughed and watched as I was shoved in the locker. Listened while I screamed and begged for help. But not Sophia. I caught her out of the corner of my eye, bolting towards me. She was going to try and attack me. I saw a flash of steel in her hand. A knife.

Well, that wouldn't do. The same energy that tore the locker apart, that crumpled the ones on either side, roared again. But instead of leaping out of me in a nova, it dug inside, and then foreward. Right into Sophia. Everything blurred as I moved at her, hit her, and then kept going, slamming her into the row of lockers on the other side of the hall. They crumpled as we hit them, I barely noticed a thing, but Sophia made a gasping, coughing sound as something cracked. When I let her go, she slumped to the floor, breathing shallowly.

Something quiet in me knew she'd be fine. Broken rib, cracked collar bone. I kicked the knife away, barely making note as it slid away. I walked towards Emma, who'd curled into a ball on the ground, and reached towards her...

* * *

-Emma Barnes-

It was happening all over again. Someone stronger than me, so much stronger than me that I was just a joke, was going to hurt me. What made it worse, I deserved it this time. I hurt her to make myself feel better, make myself feel stronger. Taylor looked like she was on fire, bewildered, surprised, then overjoyed as she looked at her hands and then her body.

Then she looked at me. And I knew, I knew I'd finally done it. The look on her face- she was so angry! So disappointed. She started towards me, and I tried to crawl away, sliding backwards. Sophia! Sophia'd save her again! She shouted at Taylor, going after her with a knife- and then Taylor was just a blast of light, leaving a streak behind her as she hit Sophia. Oh god, Sophia was dead, wasn't she? She just sat there, slumped over. I curled up into a ball. This was it.

A hand grabbed a fistfull of my shirt, dragging me up. Oh god. Oh god oh god ohgod. I tried to cry and beg her not to hurt me, but I just made a noise between a whine and a cat who's tail had been stepped on. And then-

"It's alright." She whispered. My face was in her chest, and she was hugging me to her. "I've got you. They can't hurt you anymore." She promised. She felt so strong, and so sure. And she was Taylor. "I'm sorry. I should have noticed before." Of course. She was Taylor. And now she knew.

And so I cried. Because now she knew, and she was apologizing. Stupid fucking Taylor. Why did she have to be... better than me?

And while I cried, she whispered in my ear. She promised it would be ok. She promised she wouldn't leave me again. She promised they couldn't hurt me anymore. That I had a friend who wouldn't let that happen. That I was strong, and I'd survived, and I didn't have anything to prove.

And I believed her. Because I knew she meant it. Stupid fucking Taylor.

We sat and talked until the PRT came.

 **AN: So, I prooobably won't continue this, because I'm a hack and I wrote this on a whim. Taylor's main power isn't the Vanguard savagery and biotics, it's always knowing the right thing to say, and just how to say it. An otherworldly sort of charisma that borders on a Thinker or Master power.**


End file.
